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erinreadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Sweet, kind of predictable, and I found the main character a bit annoying at times (despite sympathizing with all her trauma and misfortune). Iโm not sure if the story benefitted from her romance with Hugo, either.
Read if you like simple, heartwarming stories about people overcoming trauma.
Read if you like simple, heartwarming stories about people overcoming trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Child death, Chronic illness, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism and Abortion
jandkpeek's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Child abuse
Minor: Incest
aubreyh18's review
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Drug abuse, and Child abuse
georgiagirl1315's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage
oxfordcommas91's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book made me feel all the warm fuzzies. A grown up Willy Wonka, where our heroine competes to win the newest book by her favorite childhood author on his secluded island in New England. While thereโs some fast paced adventure moments, this book is sweet and soft and can be savored with a nice mug of tea curled up on the couch. Easily binge-able, this is at its core an emotional tale of found family and the lengths we will go to in order to be loved. It has some heavy elements but isnโt sad, and handles complex topics of grief, illness, and even abuse with careful thought and consideration. It was a wonderful book to start the year with. I wish these people existed in real life, they are the types of characters you wish could come off the page and into your living room for a nice dinner party.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Abandonment
Minor: Pregnancy, Cancer, Abortion, Car accident, and Miscarriage
brookiet1220's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
2.0
This Willy Wonka/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inspired novel had its positives and negatives. This book was a fast read. If the author made the game component more complicated or made it more fantastical, some readers may have lost interest. The conversations about Jack's sexuality and foster care are few but meaningful. Lucy and Hugo being romantically involved could be seen from a mile away. At times, Lucy's naivety makes her hard to root for. All the contestants getting a happy ending made it seem like the game was unnecessary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
emrockwell14's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Child death
Minor: Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
fairytalefootnotes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Child death, Cancer, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Abortion, and Sexual assault
scrubsandbooks's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Whimsical and nostalgic but I was too stuck on everything that the main character should NOT be doing with a child as a teacher's aide. Telling a 7 year old to keep a secret, making sure he has your phone number, placing him on your lap and giving him kisses before you were even considered as an adoptive mother? Felt completely unethical. The rest of the book was unremarkable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
Minor: Pedophilia
brewdy_reader's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
๐๐ฅ๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐๐ช๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ โข ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ด โข ๐๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ดโฃ
๐๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ โข ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐บ โข ๐๐บ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ
Pub Date: 30 May 2023
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ (4.75 ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฐ 5)
๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐ธ๐๐โ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
โจ A book about books
โจ A love letter to parents
โจ A love story with no spice
โจ A story of second chances
โจ The power of imagination and hope
This will tug at your heartstrings. Iโm glad I saved it for this time of year, because it perfectly captures the magic of the season in a delightful feel-good package.
If Willy Wonka were reimagined as a childrenโs book author, eccentric and unpredictable as ever, but darker with more adult topics: foster care system, child abandonment, toxic relationships, poverty, miscarriage, and see trigger warnings below. When you read this you will experience the joy of seeing the world through the eyes of a child. Get your tissues ready!
TW: There is one reference to child abuse/molestation and child death (not graphic but a mention of). Without this I would have recommended it to my 10 year old as it has very similar vibes to some of the Roald Dahl beloved books of my childhood.
๐๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ โข ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐บ โข ๐๐บ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ
Pub Date: 30 May 2023
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ (4.75 ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฐ 5)
๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐ธ๐๐โ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
โจ A book about books
โจ A love letter to parents
โจ A love story with no spice
โจ A story of second chances
โจ The power of imagination and hope
This will tug at your heartstrings. Iโm glad I saved it for this time of year, because it perfectly captures the magic of the season in a delightful feel-good package.
If Willy Wonka were reimagined as a childrenโs book author, eccentric and unpredictable as ever, but darker with more adult topics: foster care system, child abandonment, toxic relationships, poverty, miscarriage, and see trigger warnings below. When you read this you will experience the joy of seeing the world through the eyes of a child. Get your tissues ready!
TW: There is one reference to child abuse/molestation and child death (not graphic but a mention of). Without this I would have recommended it to my 10 year old as it has very similar vibes to some of the Roald Dahl beloved books of my childhood.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Child abuse and Child death